Sealed seat draft regulator



Dec; 9, 1952 w. LAR'SEN SEALED SEAT DRAFT REGULATOR Filed Feb. 16, 1949 0 .INVENT0R. ZZ WmuAM LAnsm MTMNE) Patented Dec. 9, 1952 UNITED STATES -'I' OFFICE 3 Claims. 1

, This invention relates to new and useful improvementsin a sealed seat draft regulator and, =ni'ore particularly, the aim is to provide a novel "and valuable automatic draft-regulator of the butterfly or pivoted type embodying a shutter of disk-like form for the purpose'of completely eliminating fumes.

'An'important object of the invention is also to providea draft-regulator assembly which is economical to manufacture, and which may be -readily and inexpensively mounted'in place so as to be protectively incorporated in an'alrea'dy "installed furnace system. Such placement of the'new damper valve assembly may be, for instance, 'andpreferably is, at or near the-outer :end of a stack upwardly rising at a slight angle toward connection with the chimney in an arrangement wherein an exhaust conduit or smoke pipe leading directly from the furnace ascends at an angle of about 60 to the vertical for connection with said stack at a point intermediate its ends.

Especially in such a set up as just described,

and in any suitable set up between a furnace and the chimney where the furnace is fired by an oilburner, a particular object of the invention is'to provide a draft-regulator assembly which automatically operates in such manner as to prevent oil burner fumes from leaving the furnace system at any point.

In the regard last mentioned, and in any use of the new'draft-regulator assembly, an excep- "tl'onally important object of the invention is to provide a combination of parts, not only affording all the advantages first above mentioned, but

one so functioning when the shutter is closed (with this due to little or no draft in the chim- "ney) that the closure is such a complete one as to be substantially wholly gas-tight.

Another object of the present invention is the construction of a draft-regulator which may be effectively employed in the flue of a coal burning furnace in a manner to effect a saving in fuel consumption.

For further comprehension of the invention,

pended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set 7 forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a'materialpart of this disclosure:

Fig'.'1 is a'view, partially in elevation and partially in section, showing the already mentioned exhaust conduit or :smoke pipe and also-portions of-the chimney, andof the above mentioned stack, and further illustrating, substantially in vertical diametral section, the draft-regulator assembly, of the present invention, mounted in place at the outer end of said stack; with the shutter of the device in closed position.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end elevation looking toward the right in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the'line 3 3 of Fig. l. V

Fig. 4 shows the assembly as in Fig. 1, but

with the shutter fairly-well open.

Fig. S-isa perspective view-of the housing ring which with the shutter and a suitable pivotal mount for the latter comprises a self-complete assembly according tothe invention and hence ready'as suchto be mountedat the'desired location.

Fig. 6 isalso a perspective view, showing the shutter detached from the housing ring.

Fig. '7 is an'enlargeddetail view, fragmentarily showing certain of the partsas seen in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. '7, butshowing the shutter fully open.

Figs. 9 and 10.

The sealed seat draft regulator, according to the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, is used in a stack I8 having its upper end suitably connected with a chimney one wall of which is indicated at II. This stack, for good furnace action and for best-results with thenew draft-regulator, should be so downwardly inclined toward its outerendas to have a drop of about 1 per footof length of the stack. 'The exhaust-conduit or-smoke pipe is designated l2.

The outerend of the stack l0, before there is installed the draft regulator assembly of the present invention, is fully open, so that, when,

as usual, the stack is cylindrical, such opening is circular in outline.

The draft-regulator unit is fitted into the open end of the stack'lll and includesa ring [4 having a main sleeve portion '15 forme'dat its outer end with an external annular flange I6.

With the sleeve portion I cylindrical, and of an external diameter for snugly matching the internal diameter of the stack ID, the flange I6 is present, not only to act as a positive stop to limit forcible thrust of the ring M too far into the stack [0, but also for then abutting the circular edge of the stack at its outer end, thereby fully to seal the connection between the housing ring and the stack.

Herein shown as inset slightly from the end of the sleeve portion I5 opposite to its end having the flange I6, is a partition I! in the form of a frame surrounding an opening 18. The upper portion of this opening has straight sides joined by an upwardly arched top as shown best in Fig. 2. The lower portion of said opening is in the form of a sector of a circle, with the upper straight-line boundary of such sector of greater length than the horizontal distance between said straight sides of the upper portion of the opening, and with said sector so placed that the opposite end portions of said straight-line sectorboundary establish a pair of downwardly facing shoulders l9 (Figs. 2, 5, 7 and 8).

The shutter 20, for coaction with the opening I8, has an upper portion 2| the shape of which is an enlarged homolog of that of the upper portion of the opening 18 and a lower portion 22 the shape of which is an enlarged homolog of that of the lower portion of said opening. There are therefore present on the shutter a pair of oppositely placed upwardly directed shoulders 23, corresponding to the shoulders l9.

When the shutter 20 is fully closed, as in Figs. 1-3, and particularly as shown in Fig. 7, said shoulders l9 and 23 are arranged so that each shoulder 19 is well spaced vertically from the adjacent shoulder 23, yet there is merely a minute triangular opening, such as indicated at 24 in Fig. 7, at each side of the outer end of the stack It]. When the shutter 20 is partially open, as in Fig. 4, there is some separation between said shoulders. When the shutter is fully open, as in Fig. 8, it is positively held at this limit of its swing, by abutment of the shoulders 23 with the front side of the partition l'l. Moreover. when the shutter is fully closed, there is a double stop for holding the shutter at this limit of its swing; and now, with the curvilinearly extended marginal subdivision of the shutter which extends I around the top and two sides of the upper shutter portion 2| lying flat against the rear side of the upper part of said partition, a good gas-tight closure is effected.

It will be noted, further, that the shutter 20 is shown as pivotally mounted on a pin 25 extended along a horizontal line well below a midpoint along the height of the shutter. In Figs. 7 and 8 the axis of such pivoting is indicated at 25 The shutter 20, to facilitate placement of the pin close to the partition I1, is given a double bend (26, Figs. 4 and 6) extended horizontally across the width of the shutter at about the level of said axis. A strip 21, of J cross-section, is suitably secured at the staif of such J to the rear side of the shutter, thereby to place the bottom hook of the J in position to coact with said bend in providing a means whereby the shutter is hung on the pin 25 as a pintle. Also suitably secured to the rear side of the partition I! are L-shaped pieces 28, 28, these at their outstanding leaves having aligned apertures (29, 29, Fig. 5) for reception of the end portions of said pin.

The L-shaped pieces 28 in this first form of the invention, are fixedly secured to the face of the partition I! as by welding, brazing, soldering or in any other well known manner.

The hereinabove pointed out double overlapping of the shutter 20 relative to the partition II to seal the outer end of the stack I0, is a feature of fundamental importance, particularly when an oil burner is being first fired. During such firing, the shutter is closed, due to lack of draft in the chimney at that instant, and now, consequently, no fumes can escape fromthe system and into the cellar or the like where the oil burning furnace is installed. Yet the instant there is a draft in the chimney, the shutter opens.

For clarifying the appended claims, the opening 18 is now herein defined as acorn shaped, that is, as having an outline aproximating rather closely that exhibited by a complete acorn as viewed in central longitudinal section. By a complete acorn is meant the natural group consisting of the acorn proper and its bottom cuplike addendum. While at its upper end an acorn proper is of such contour as in central longitudinal section to be of ogival outline, it is obvious that such an outline could be given to the aforesaid upper portion of the opening l8 without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing its advantages.

A further feature of the invention is the already referred to lowered location of the pivotal axis for the shutter, in combination with the already explained double overlapping of the shutter and partition, in combination with the location of the balancing adjusting means.

The draft-regulator assembly of the present preferred embodiment is characterized by the inclusion of an adjustable weight-means carried on the shutter for predetermining the draft conditions to be automatically maintained or varied according to any thereafter prevailing draft condition, thereby to continue or establish a draftgoverning relationship as prevised.

The adjusting means includes a fixed weight 38 at the rear side of the lower portion 22 of the shutter, said fixed weight there secured by way of a screw 3| threadedly engaging said weight and by a nut 32 on said screw; and an internally threaded spirally adjustable weight 33 on the portion of said screw forwardly projected from the shutter.

This weight 33 may be locked in adjusted position by a nut 34. The usual adjustable counterbalance of shutter 20 is indicated at 33.

With these provisions, a weight-means adjustment may be made expeditiously and easily from the accessible outer end of the stack i0, thereby to arrange a weight distribution on the shutter such that the latter is delicately responsive to variations of the draft in the chimney, to give the quick, positive action required from time to time pursuant to a multiplicity of different draft variations, and always with an inertia so slight as to be properly characterized as of the featherweight order.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the construction of the draftregulator assembly is similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 8, differing merely in the fact that the L-shaped members 28 are removably attached to the partition I1, and the partition I1 and the corresponding parts are shifted to the flange I6 of the draft regulator unit.

In this form of the invention, the L-shaped members 28 and the partition are passed through the aligned holes from the i H are both formed wlth aligned pairs of holes and bolts 40 L-shaped members 28 and are engaged by nuts 4|, see Fig. 10, arranged to be tightened against the adjacent face of the partition I? for securing the L-shaped members 25' in position. When the nuts 43 are removed, the L-shaped members are free to be separated from the partition i7 together with the shutter 22.

If desired, the bolts to could be welded or soldered to the L-shaped members 23 to be an integral unit with those members.

In other respects this form of the invention is similar to the previous form and like reference numerals identify like parts in each of the several views.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A draft regulator for use with a stack pipe, comprisin a ring fitted snugly into the free end of the stack pipe, an inwardly directed uniplanar flange on said ring defining an acorn-shaped opening, said opening being smaller in width at its top portion than at its bottom portion, a pivot pin extended horizontally across said opening between the said top and bottom portions thereof and having its ends pivotally supported on the inner face of said flange, a shutter shaped to conform with but slightly longer than said opening said shutter also being less in width at its top portion than at its bottom portion, said shutter being mounted on said pin between its aforesaid top and bottom portions and being bent at said pin to extend through said opening to have its top portion close against the inner face of said flange at the top portion of said opening and its bottom portion close against the outer face of said flange at the bottom portion of said opening, an adjustable counterbalance weight mounted on the inner face of the top portion of said shutter above said pivot pin, and weights mounted on the inner and outer faces of the bottom portion of said shutter below said pivot pin.

2. A draft regulator for use with a stack pipe, comprising a ring fitted snugly into the free end of the stack pipe, an inwardly directed uniplanar flange on said ring defining an acorn-shaped opening, said opening being smaller in width at its top portion than at its bottom portion, a pivot pin extended horizontally across said opening between the said top and bottom portions thereof and having its ends pivotally supported on the inner face of said flange, a shutter shaped to conform with but slightly longer than said opening said shutter also being less in width at its top portion than at its bottom portion, said shutter being mounted on said pin between its aforesaid top and bottom portions and being bent at said pin to extend through said opening to have its top portion close against the inner face of said flange at the top portion of said opening and its bottom portion close against the outer face of said flange at the bottom portion of said opening, an adjustable counterbalance weight mounted on the inner face of the top portion of said shutter above said pivot pin, and weights mounted on the inner and outer faces of the bottom portion of said shutter below said pivot pin, a screw extended outward from the outer face of the bottom portion of said shutter below said pivot pin, said weight of the outer face of the bottom portion of said shutter being threaded onto said screw to be adjustable along the length thereof.

3. A draft regulator for use with a stack pipe, comprising a ring fitted snugly into the free end of the stack pipe, an inwardly directed uniplanar flange on said ring defining an acorn-shaped opening, said opening being smaller in Width at its top portion than at its bottom portion, a pivot pin extended horizontally across said opening between the said top and bottom portions thereof and having its ends pivotally supported on the inner face of said flange, a shutter shaped to conform with but slightly longer than said opening said shutter also being less in width at its top portion than at its bottom portion, said shutter being mounted on said pin between its aforesaid top and bottom portions and being bent at said pin to extend through said opening to have its top portion close against the inner face of said flange at the top portion of said opening and its bottom portion close against the outer face of said flange at the bottom portion of said opening, an adjustable counterbalance weight mounted on the inner face of the top portion of said shutter above said pivot pin, and weights mounted on the inner and outer faces of the bottom portion of said shutter below said pivot pin, said pivotal mounting of said pivot pin comprising L-shaped members secured by one of their arms to the inner face of said flange on opposite sides of said openings and having their other arms extended away from the inner face of said flange, the said other arms of said flanges having horizontally aligned apertures into which the ends of said pivot pin are received.

WILLIAM LARSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 802,110 Peterman Oct. 1'7, 1905 1,757,898 Bushman et a1 May 6, 1930 2,282,125 Firehammer May 5, 1942 2,346,559 Crew Apr. 11, 1944 2,396,777 Edwards Mar. 19, 1946 2,433,749 Field Dec. 30, 1947 2,460,960 Wilson Feb. 8, 19%9 

